premise

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English premiss, from Medieval Latin praemissa, noun use of feminine of Latin praemissus, past participle of praemittere “to send before,” equivalent to prae- “before, in front, ahead,” + mittere “to send”; see pre-

The noun premise (also spelled premiss ) entered English in the late 14th century, originally as a term used in logic to mean “each of the two propositions in a syllogism from which the conclusion is drawn,” ultimately from the Latin phrase prōpositiō praemissa “proposition (in a syllogism) set forth beforehand.” Praemissa in this sense is a feminine singular adjective modifying the feminine singular noun prōpositiō. Praemissa is also a neuter plural past participle used as a noun meaning “matters discussed or mentioned previously” in legal documents, contracts, and wills.
By the second half of the 15th century, premiss acquired the further meaning “houses, buildings and lands previously specified in a deed,” as on a sign prominently displayed above a bar “Licensed to retail beer, wine, spirits, and tobacco to be consumed on the premises.”